Living the Life I Love, Photography, Digital Art, Technology, Music, Fun, Family and Good Friends in Sun Valley Idaho

2009.10.01

What an experience this was! I will write more soon, but I wanted to post this link http://bit.ly/KO0E7 today. It shows a bit of the festival and a small interview with me. Fun! This was my first art festival. I will write soon about the preparations and the experience itself. I learned so very much. Thanks to all of the great people who stopped by!

2009.09.01

Hi Everyone! Please come and join us for Wagon Days Weekend. I will be signing posters and exhibiting my work on Friday, September 4th from 5 - 7pm (or later) at the Saddletree Gallery on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum, next to the (Yummmmy) Rocky Mtn Chocolate Factory and Wise Guy Pizza or 460 Sun Valley Road. Wagon Days Posters are selling and I couldn't be more delighted! Get yours on Friday. Looking forward to seeing you!

See my posts below for information about Wagon Days. Go to purevisionstudios.com to see all of the Wagon Days photos from last year under the Gallery Events/Wagon Days 50th Anniversary.

2009.08.11

God Speed Eunice Kennedy Shriver. What an amazing life. What an amazing legacy that has touched the hearts and minds of people worldwide. Please view my post below and watch the movie, Special Olympics 2009.

2009.07.29

Last year I had the ride of my life shooting the 50th Anniversary Wagon Days Celebration in Ketchum and Sun Valley, Idaho. Not only did I get the opportunity to ride in the lead wagon of Wagon Day's "Big Hitch", but I was given a rare chance to get a Pure Visionary look into this great, historic celebration. The Wood River Valley is an extraordinary place. I would bet that you would be hard pressed to find any local who wouldn't agree with me on that. It's beauty is fierce and its people are fiercely passionate and full of life. This will always be my home.

When I was told that my work,"Wagon Days - Echoes of the Past"had been chosen as the Wagon Days poster art, I was shocked, honored and admittedly "verklempt". To even be included with such truly talented artists of many mediums who both compete for and win the honor of being chosen, I am truly appreciative and ecstatic. Please visit my Wagon Days Post of last year and the Wagon Days Website to find out more about this unnique event that allows thousands of visitors and locals alike a peek into the inspiring history of the Wood River Valley where people of true grit carved out a future in this amazing place for us all to enjoy.My sincere thanks to all of the Members of the Wagon Days Association. Check out my Wagon Days 50th HD Slideshow on YouTube. (Be sure to click HD button in the bottom right corner)

2009.03.04

I belong to an incredible group of female professional photographers from the Wood River Valley, The Digital Divas. We were asked to volunteer our skills for the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2009, hosted by the USA this year in Boise, Idaho. The competition locations included, Boise and Sun Valley, Idaho. We were happy to volunteer our time and we expected a wonderful adventure. We had no idea the purely incredible celebration of life we were about to experience.
I honestly don't have words to describe it. Inspiring just doesn't cut it. To be completely surrounded by athletes, coaches and volunteers who were purely loving and supporting each other. No politics, no ego, just powerful spirit that I really did not know existed. This was a celebration of our differences and it was totally remarkable. Everyone gladly gave it their all.
I was shooting with my new Canon 5d MarkII and it was a great environment for learning..shooting indoors without flash, action photos and outdoors in low light. Love that camera!!! More about that later...
The slideshow above was made using all of the local volunteer and Digital Divas photos. My partner in crime and I made this with the newiMovie 09. Having used other softwares Final Cut, Fotomagico and others..this was another opportunity to learn something new.

Take the opportunity to volunteer and support The Special Olympics. It will be the greatest gift you can give to this wonderful world and to yourself.

2008.12.05

As celebrations go inKetchum, Sun Valley, Idaho it doesn't get any bigger than Wagon Days.
The Big Hitch Parade is the highlight of the celebration. It has grown into the largest non-motorized parade in the West, displaying more than a hundred museum-quality buggies, carriages, tacks, carts, buckboards, and wagons of every variety in existence today. The Wagon Days Big Hitch, historic wagons used to haul ore from the area, are powered by an authentic 20-draft mule jerkline.
Adding spice to the parade is a lively assortment of authentically costumed individuals, numerous breeds of horses, from Arabs to Morgans to Pasos. Plus, professional and scholastic marching bands from around the state and the intermountain west.

This year was the 50th Anniversary of Wagon Days and the legendary celebration did not disappoint. The Budweiser Clydesdales were invited to join the parade along with the past Grand Marshalls of previous parades. The event was not only a great tribute to the history of Idaho, but also a tribute to this close knit community, the organizers and volunteers of Wagon Days who truly make this celebration a successful party.

I felt privileged to be be invited to photograph all of the activities of this event, including a ride in the lead ore wagon of the big hitch at the practice session. As I bounced around like a rag doll in the massive wagon trying to capture the moment, my mind raced back to history when these great wagons traveled much more treacherous paths through the mountains. I was in awe of the skill of Muleskinner Bobby Tanner and his amazing crew. The mules of his team were exceptional world class athletes by anyone's standards!
Check out Pure Vision StudiosEvents and Celebrations Gallery/Wagon Days 50th Anniversary and double click for the slide show. Here you can see the massive ore wagons, historic wagons and the beautiful horses, mules and donkeys who pull them. The classic colorful characters of the old west come alive to tell the tale of Wagon Days.

2008.01.18

We
love nothing better than being asked to step outside the traditional
when it comes to capturing the essence of a personality. These can
sometimes be called "lifestyle portraits". Of course, we prefer to call
them Visionary. Sometimes, actually most often, these ideas come in the
middle of the night, after pondering the spirit you are trying to
capture. There are no rules. At least not from our perspective.

Pure Vision Studios is really charged about becoming a part of this new "state of the web" service. We know how much time is involved in really working the internet to its potential and are extremely aware of the value of being truly connected. We are certain Personal E-ssistant will become E- ssential to the success of many businesses and professionals both locally and world wide.

Isn't it great? It is like the old west baby! Trail Blazin'! Who knows where this trail goes to? We don't.. but we are having a really good time on this ride. We welcome Personal E-ssistant as our partners on the trail.

2007.12.27

What says "Holidays" better than baby Christmas photos? Oh the joy of photographing a beautiful child and creating that "OOOOH How Cute!" moment for the family to treasure forever.

We had a wonderful season shooting family and individual portraits this year. It is a great deal of work, but the result is completely satisfying. The photo above was shot at Pure Vision Studios using a Gary Fong Whale Tale light diffuser. I love this product. The light is soft and natural. It is so nice not to be using harsh, hot lights with the little people. They tend to get cranky.

No Photoshop Cs3 editing required with this photo. We liked the the soft, warm, natural richness and tone just the way it was.

And....ho ho ho he peed all over this lovely blanket shortly after this shot. The show was over.

2007.11.21

Every now and then Pure Vision Studios is introduced to a product that simply dazzles us with sheer genius. Well "Get Yer Game Face On" and check out Quikcamo.

Hunters will appreciate the "Health and Stealth" technology of this camo device. I personally am giving 5 of these bad boys for Christmas. We had a great time doing product shots for these guys and expect to see more (or is it less?) of them in the future.